The Health Care Industry

America needs more health care workers. The U.S. Department of
Labor predicts that healthcare will generate 3 million new wage
and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016. Seven out of the 20 fastest growing occupations are health care related.

Our aging population, new medical technologies, and changes in the way health care is, and will be provided in the future, are opening doors for students who want to train for a job that pays well and gives them a chance to help other people. And opportunities for underrepresented minorities and low-income students are especially good in health care. www.explorehealthcareers.org

View the Health Care in-demand occupations.

There are many reasons to consider a healthcare career:

  1. Tremendous job growth--half of the 30 fastest growing occupations are health-related
  2. Salaries and benefits are above many other industries
  3. Job stability
  4. Flexible scheduling
  5. Career laddering--can start at any level and work up
  6. Healthcare facilities are in every corner of the country

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment Statistics

  1. Health Care Practitioner and Technical Occupations
  2. Health Care Support Occupations
  3. Career Guide to Health Care

 

 

WA State's Oral Health Workforce Final Report Released November 2009

National attention to the growing silent epidemic of oral diseases has increased in recent years, resulting in more focus on the importance of having a health workforce that can effectively address the oral health needs of the population. Washington State benefits from having many programs and initiatives to enhance the capacity, flexibility and diversity of its oral health workforce. This report presents comprehensive information on that workforce, to the extent data are available, and factors that affect its future. Read Report

 

 

A Skilled and Educated Workforce: An Assessmentof Higher Education and Training Credentials Required to Meet Employer Demand

When the Legislature and Governor enacted House Bill 3103 in 2004, they intended to improve the quality of information available to help policymakers determine how well our state’s higher education system was meeting employer demand for skilled workers. A key section of HB 3103 directed the Higher Education Coordinating Board, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board to produce every other year:

“…an assessment of the number and type of higher education and training credentials required to match employer demand for a skilled and educated work force. The assessment shall include the number of forecasted net job openings at each level of higher education and training and the number of credentials needed to match the forecast of net job openings.”

This is the second joint report published by the three agencies in response to the 2004 statute; the first report was released in 2006. The report includes an updated analysis of the workforce supplied by higher education institutions in Washington, employer demand for higher education as measured by the number of projected job openings, and the match between supply and demand. This update also includes new detailed analysis of specific occupations within the following areas: engineering, health professions, and education.

Data from a 2006 job vacancy survey show that Washington was short more than 12,000 health care professionals. The Health Care Personnel ShortageTask Force report also recounts the results of a 2007 hospital workforce survey that showed high vacancy rates for registered nurses and physicians in various important specialties. Thirty percent of the needed cardiology positions, for example, went unfilled, as did 16 percent of the needed pediatrics positions.

In addition to the vacancy rate, the Task Force also analyzed the projected gap between occupational forecasts and the expected supply of health care graduates. By 2014, the Task Force predicts that Washington will need to produce an additional 3,500 registered nurses, more than 2,000 physicians, and almost 600 physical therapists to fill all the positions that will be needed.

In fact, if there is no increase in the numbers of graduates of nursing programs, by 2025, Washington is expected to need an additional 25,000 registered nurses.

Read Full Report

 

 

A Closer Look at Healthcare Workforce Needs - Pharmacy

Research on the national pharmacist workforce points to a continuing shortage of pharmacists, related to growth in medication use, the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the emergence of more clinical activities within pharmacies.

Surveys that track shortage levels showed that there was a slow downward trend in the severity of shortages up until fall 2005, followed by higher shortage levels during the past year. Changes in shortage levels appear to parallel growth in prescription medication usage. Read Full Report

 

 

Healthcare Recruitment Trends for 2009

An annual CareerBuilder.com forecast is predicting that because of the aging population, health care is one of the few industries positioned for staffing growth in 2009.

A survey found that one-in-five (17 percent) of large health care employers (50 or more employees) plan to increase the number of full-time, permanent employees in 2009, while 67 percent foresee either making no change in the number of employees or are unsure. Sixteen percent plan to decrease the number of employees.

Read about the health care recruitment trends that CareerBuilder forecasts for 2009.

 

 

Top 50 Medical Career Blogs

Medicine 3.0 has compiled a list of the of the top 50 medical career blogs for its readers. You can get the latest news in the health and medical industry, as well as learn helpful information about a variety of professions in health and medical careers. If you are interested in a career in the medical field, it can help to get advice from people who have already been there. Many professionals write blogs now, and they can provide helpful insight into what you need to do in order to become successful in a variety of medical careers. more

 

Resource Links:

 


Industry

WA State Department of Health

Statewide Partners

Various Professional Organizations / Associations

Post-Secondary /College
(Programs- Majors)

Healthcare Training / Worker
Re-Training Courses

Best Practices

I-Best